Tennessee lawmakers wants daylight saving time year-round

Researchers found setting the clock back for winter led to a spike in depression for some people.
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The sun comes out and starts melting the paths at Shelby Farms Sunday. After a record-breaking warm February, winter had one last surprise for the Mid-South in the form of a late season snow and much cilder temperatures which are expected to continue through the week.(Photo: Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo

During this winter legislative session, one lawmaker is convinced he has a bright idea.

While State Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, might not be alone in that regard, he says it is time for Tennesseans to stop rolling clocks back to standard time in the winter and trade the antiquated practice for an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings.

“I’ve done two polls, one on Facebook, one on Twitter, and both of them come in right at 89 percent in favor of staying on daylight saving time year around,” he said. “People [would] rather have an hour of daylight in wintertime. They go to work and it’s dark and they come home and it’s dark, and I think a lot of people have expressed how they would like to get out and exercise and spend some time with their kids outdoors after work.”

Tillis introduced a bill that would exempt the State of Tennessee from daylight saving time, a practice adopted in the United States in 1918 where residents roll clocks forward an hour in the Spring.

The lawmaker said language from an old measure was used accidentally. Instead, it’s standard time he wants to get rid of. He plans to let the current bill die and introduce the bill with opposite language within the next week.

Tillis says he has contacted bordering states and several legislators in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina are talking about similar measures.

Tillis said Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, will sponsor the bill in the senate.

Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615-762-5970 or at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie.